Journal-box hinge-pin



W. F. KIESEL, JR.

JOURNAL BOX HINGE PIN.

APPLICATION FILED AUG- 16, 1920.

1,393,139. Patented Oct. 11, 1921;

/E/-5- v v 31%, cw; mmlk UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' JOURNAL-BOX HINGE-PIN.

Specification oflletters Patent.

Patented Oct. 11', 1921.

Application filed August 16, 1920. Serial No. 4oc,92a.'

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. KmsEL, J r., a citizen of the UnitedStates, and residing at Altoona, Blair county, State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Journal-BoxHinge-Pins, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an" improved hinge pin for pivotally attachingthe lids pi ournal boxes of railway cars and the As now generallyconstructed the lids of journal boxes are secured in position by a solidpivot bolt which passes through alined cylindrical openings in the hingemembers of the lid and a similar opening in an ear or lug on the journalbox, the bolt being held in place by a flat split key or cotter pininserted in anopening in the end of the bolt. This constructionpossesses certain defects anddisadvantages. Workmen frequently neglectto ap ly a ke or the ke becomes worn out or roken, t e pivot bo tconsequently dro s out and 1s lost and as a result the lid a so becomesdetached and lost and the journal box is open for the access of dirt andgrit. The ordinary pivot bolt also becomes worn by use, causingconsiderable noise and rattling and such .rattlin motion of the partsfurther wears out the bolt and the lid.

The present invention aims to overcome these difliculties by roviding apivot pin or bolt with which no astening key is required, the improvedpin comprising two spaced resilient arms rigidly secured to ether at oneend and having shoulders on t eir outer surfaces near their oppositeends. The arms are so arranged that they can be pressed together andinserted through the cylindrical openings in the lid and journal box andwhen in position a head on one end of the pin and the shoulders on theother will prevent withdrawal or longitudinal movement of the pin. Theouter surface of the arms are constructed to fit the cylindricalopenings in the hinge members of the lid and the journal box and areheld against the walls of such openings by the spring action of themetal. Various advantages of this construction will be later described.

The invention is set forth'in detail in the following specification andillustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure'l is a plan view partly in section of a lid and the associatedparts of a journal box having the present invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the portion of the constructionshown at the ri ht in Fig. 1;

ig. 3 is a side elevation of one form of pivot pin which may beemployed; Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line H of Flg. 3;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the pivot pin shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of another form of p1vot pin which may beemployed for carrying out the present invention.

Referring. to the drawings in detail, 10 represents the lid of a.journal box which is provided with hinge members 12, such hinge membersbeing provide-d with alined cylindrical openings through which a pivotpin is adapted to be inserted. The journal box, generally designated bythe numeral 13, is provided with an car 14 shaped so as to fit betweenthe hinge members 12 of the lid. such ear also being provided with acylindrical opening through which a pivot bolt may be inserted, it beingunderstood that the openingsin the hinge members 12 and the car 14 areadapted to be arranged in line so that the pivot bolt may beinsertedthrough the openings in these parts for pivotally securing thelid to the journal box. A spring 15 is secured to the lid 10 in anysuitable manner, such spring being of the usual construction and servingto hold the lid in an open or closed position.

The hinge pin which I prefer to employ and which constitutes the novelfeature of the present invention consists of two resilient arms 16, 16,which are spaced apart a slight distance and which at one end arerigidly secured together and preferably made of an integral piece ofmaterial. Each of the arms 16 near its free end is provided with ashoulder 19 and beyond the said shoulder each of the arms is tapered asshown at 20. The outer surfaces of the arms are curved so as to closelyfit the contour of the openings, the pin as a whole therefore beingsubstantially cylindrical in form as will appear from Fig. 4 of thedrawing. The pin, if desired, may be pressed from sheet metal, as shownin Figs. 3, 4 and 5, or the same may be constructed of a solid bar splitlongitudinally throughout its length or if desired, through a part ofits len h as shown in Fig. 6. The split should at east extend for asufficient distance to give the necessary resiliency to the arms lti. Itis also apparent that such pins may, if desired, be constructed fromhalf round material bent into proper shape to form a cylindrical pin.suitable head 18 is formed on the pin 0 posite the shoulders 19heretofore mentioned.

It will be understood that a pin constructed as described may beinserted in the alined openings in a hinge member and journal box bypressing the resilient arms 16 together, the tapered ends of said armsfacilitating such insertion. After the pin has been inserted throughsaid openings it will be further understood that the arms 16 will beforced apart by the spring of the metal and that the shoulders 19 on theend of the arms will engage the outer wall of the hinge member 12 andthus prevent withdrawal of the pin in one direction, the head 18 of thepin preventing its withdrawal in the opposite direction. The distancebetween the head 18 and shoulders 19 is only slightly greater than thecombined length of the openings through which the pin is inserted andthe head and shoulders thus serve to restrict movement of the pin insuch openings.

It will be apparent that hinge pins of the character here described maybe easily and quickly applied, that the use of fastening keys isunnecessary, and that loss of the pins with consequent loss of the lidsand injury of the journals from dust and dirt is avoided. Furthermore,the spring action of the arms causes the outer Surfaces thereof toclosely engage the openings in which the pins are mounted thuspreventing noise and rattling and wear of the parts, common in the oldforms of construction.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

and a lid therefor having alined cylindrical openings, of a hinge pinfor pivotally securing the lid to the box, said pin comprising twoparallel resilient arms rigidly secured together atone end and arrangedin said openings, each of said arms being curved on its outer surface tofit the walls of said openings and each yieldingly engaging with saidwalls, said pin having a head at one end and one of said arms having ashoulder on its outer surface near the free end thereof wherebylongitudinal movement of said pin in said openings is restricted.

3. The combination with a journal box and a lid therefor having alinedcylindrical openings, of a hinge pin for pivotally securing the lid tothe box, said pin comprising two parallel spaced resilient arms rigidlysecured together at one end and arranged in said openings, each of saidarms being curved on its outer surface to fit the walls of said openingsand each yieldingly engaging with said walls, each of said arms at itsfree end being provided with a shoulder and a head on the opposite endof the pin whereby longitudinal movement of said pin in said openings isrestricted.

1. The combination with a journal box and a lid therefor having alinedcylindrical openings, of a hinge pin for pivotally securing the lid tothe box, said pin comprising two parallel spaced resilient armsintegrally connected at one end and arranged in said openings, each ofsaid arms being curved on its outer surface to fit the walls of saidopenings and each yieldingly engaging said walls, each of said arms atits free end being beveled and provided with a shoulder and a head onthe opposite end of said pin, said head andshoulders serving to restrictlongitudinal movement of said pin in said openm s.

The combination with a journal box and lid therefor having alinedcylindrical openings, of a hinge pin for pivotally securing the lid tothe box, said pin comprising a cylindrical bar split longitudinally toform two spaced resilient arms integrally connected at one end, saidarms being arranged in said openings and having their outer surfacesyieldingly engaging said walls, each of said arms at its free end beingprovided with a shoulder and a head on the opposite end of said pin,said head and shoulders serving to in said openings.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WILLIAM F. KIE-SEL, JR.

